The door was flung open abruptly, and a woman dressed in garish attire impatiently revealed herself.
"Who is it? Disturbing my sleep so early?"
Wei Yumeng was startled by her imposing presence, rendered momentarily speechless.
The woman, though young and attractive, wore exaggerated makeup, and her hair was dyed a riot of colors.
Chai Yanyu stepped forward, shielding Wei Yumeng, and addressed the woman. "Are you Sarah? We're friends of Zhan Yichen. He sent us to find you."
Upon hearing Zhan Yichen's name, Sarah's aggressive demeanor softened considerably.
Wei Yumeng quickly added, "He's my younger brother. I'd like to ask for your help with something."
After scrutinizing both of them, Sarah mumbled, "You two really do look like you're from the same place as him."
Wei Yumeng and Chai Yanyu exchanged glances, sensing that Sarah's relationship with Zhan Yichen was more complicated than he had let on.
"Come in," Sarah said, turning and walking back into the house.
Wei Yumeng and Chai Yanyu followed.
Though the room appeared reasonably tidy, the pervasive smell of smoke was almost unbearable for Wei Yumeng.
Chai Yanyu also frowned and, without a word, opened the window to let in some fresh air.
As if to provoke them further, Sarah lit another cigarette.
"Alright, what is it you need from me?"
"We're looking for someone. We suspect he's being held by the BD young lady, so we wanted to learn more about his situation from you." Wei Yumeng asked frankly.
"Is that all? Simple!" Sarah flicked her cigarette. "If you're willing to let this handsome young man go to me, I'll tell you, how about that?"
Wei Yumeng was taken aback; she hadn't expected Sarah to make such a demand.
Chai Yanyu, hearing this, merely snorted, "Are you sure this condition is appropriate?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Have you forgotten Zhan Yichen?" Chai Yanyu spoke without reservation.
Sarah's eyes immediately filled with bitterness.
Wei Yumeng quickly interjected, "Oh, right. Yichen also asked me to pass on a message. He said thank you."
To her surprise, Sarah's eyes welled up with even more bitterness. "Thank me? Thank me for selling him out to the organization? Do you know that if I hadn't betrayed him, he wouldn't have been discovered?"
Despite Sarah's words, Wei Yumeng felt that this wasn't the whole story. If things were truly as Sarah claimed, her eyes wouldn't hold such profound sadness.
Chai Yanyu, however, seemed unaffected by the somber atmosphere. He began to speak, "If I'm not mistaken, before Zhan Yichen left here, he was close to finding the other party's whereabouts, wasn't he? But the subsequent events were too dangerous for him, so you had to force him out in that manner. It looked like a betrayal, but it was your way of protecting him."
Hearing Chai Yanyu's words, Sarah took a sudden step back, clearly shaken.
Wei Yumeng was surprised. In such a short time, Chai Yanyu had managed to piece together what had happened. It did make sense, however. If Sarah had known more but not told Zhan Yichen, it would explain why he was deliberately sent away by her before he could learn the full details. And Zhan Yichen, to protect Sarah, had initially omitted her name when they questioned him.
Wei Yumeng took a deep breath. "You're actually a good girl, at least you know how to consider others."
But Wei Yumeng also suspected that Sarah's feelings for Zhan Yichen might be more than just friendship.
"A good girl?" Sarah scoffed. "We're born into places like this, seen as villains by outsiders. Only you and he would say such things."
Sarah took a deep breath and looked at Wei Yumeng again. "For Yichen's sake, I can tell you what you want to know."
Seeing Sarah relent, Wei Yumeng felt a sense of relief.
"The person being held is called Zhan Mohan. If I recall correctly, he's Yichen's older brother."
Upon hearing this news, Wei Yumeng's body trembled. She could barely hold back tears. After searching for so long, she finally knew where he was.
Sarah continued, "I actually found this out when Yichen first asked me to investigate. But I knew what dangerous things he would do if he knew."
Chai Yanyu walked to Wei Yumeng's side, standing silently beside her, offering support in this moment.
"Where exactly is he being held?" Chai Yanyu asked.
"That place isn't somewhere just anyone can go. Deep in the Black Street, there's a villa. It's the BD boss's residence. To manage those who disobey, they've converted the large garage next to the villa into a detention area. I believe he's still there."
Wei Yumeng clenched her fists. She couldn't wait to rescue Zhan Mohan.
Sarah glanced at Wei Yumeng and Chai Yanyu. "With just the two of you, it'll be difficult to even get close to that place. If you're caught, it's not an exaggeration to say it'll be a one-way trip."
"A Yu," Wei Yumeng looked up at Chai Yanyu. "I... I have to go."
Chai Yanyu didn't object, simply meeting Wei Yumeng's earnest gaze. "Yes, I understand. We'll prepare when we get back."
Sarah looked from Chai Yanyu to Wei Yumeng, a subtle emotion flickering in her eyes before she ultimately said nothing.
Wei Yumeng's emotions remained turbulent even after leaving Sarah's house.
"A Yu," Wei Yumeng suddenly said to Chai Yanyu, "Perhaps I should go alone. You can help me arrange everything, and then let me find Mohan on my own, okay?"
Chai Yanyu frowned. "Sister, according to Sarah, it's very dangerous there. How could I possibly let you go alone?"
"Precisely because it's so dangerous, I can't let you risk going with me!" Wei Yumeng's tone was firm. "What if something happens, and you get caught up in it with me?"
"But Sister..."
Wei Yumeng directly interrupted Chai Yanyu. "Mohan is my husband. I have to go rescue him. But to you, he might not be that important. You really don't need to go to such lengths."
Chai Yanyu looked at Wei Yumeng with hurt in his eyes. Zhan Mohan wasn't important to him, but Wei Yumeng was. How could he let her venture into danger alone?